Art Maier: Literacy in Bible lands

Thursday

Aug 28, 2008 at 12:01 AMAug 28, 2008 at 2:50 PM

Do you suppose kids in Bible lands and times hated it if parents made them go to school? Probably not, because few kids were made to go. Rarely, if ever, was a young person of that culture forced to attend any learning program.

Art Maier

Do you suppose kids in Bible lands and times hated it if parents made them go to school? Probably not, because few kids were made to go. Rarely, if ever, was a young person of that culture forced to attend any learning program.

For that matter, were there were many organized schools for the kids? According to much evidence, yes. Our Bible suggests an old, national emphasis on education in Israel. The reading of God’s word helped lead to other reading, and to expansive learning.

During ancient times, education could be, as it is now, a mixed cultural feature. In some cultures of Bible centuries, learning was valued, though public education was not necessarily given much attention. It may surprise some to know that the scholarly ancient Greeks really offered little formal education to their average citizens.

The Greeks are deservedly famous for drama, poetry, philosophy, and mathematics. Their culture flourished in part during the so-called Golden Age of Greece, around the 400s B.C.

However, there is evidence that the majority of Greeks, even during the Golden Age, had relatively little opportunity for education, and didn't read much. The golden learning was for a few.

Israelites of Bible times had ample reason to encourage literacy for all. God'smessages were not just memorized by a few priests, but were written for all the people on pages of skin, or on a material like paper. An excellent alphabet was used.

For the faithful Israelites, the commandment words from God were never to be forgotten. Moses said to the people: “And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thy house, and upon thy gates." Deuteronomy 6: 8-9 -- American Standard Version -1901) Historically, Moses made this statement about 1450 B.C.

It became customary to put small slips with scripture statements in pillbox size capsules, tied on the arm or head.

All this naturally tended to give reading and writing a status of importance. Community schools for children were established in Israel. Perhaps school attendance was not absolutely compulsory. For a child who didn’t want to sit through a class, there were plenty of other very socially respectable ways to occupy time. Still, the average child was surely encouraged to try school, at least for a while.

Israelites apparently came to be known as people of the book, that is, God’s scripture. Obviously, they soon had more books, and were known for expansive scholarship.

After the time of Christ, the young church gave all of Europe a real literacy boost. The gospels and other writings were put together in the New Testament. This was added to the Old Testament, making our complete Bible.

As the church brought the total written scriptures to the world, the importance of any and all reading tended to get much attention. Many early Christian missionaries were academic teachers. Education followed the Bible and its message to the world.

While all this may be historically interesting, your world and time surely matter more. Has the great Bible message reached you?

That message tells us of a great double offer. Everyone who believes in Christ receives full forgiveness of sins. Better yet, Christ’s believers also have everlasting life in heaven, after this earth.

Put faith in Christ now. Then look forward in this faith to the glories of heaven, your home forever.

Art Maier is a semi-retired teacher, environmental science specialist and calligrapher. He is a regular columnist for the Boonville Daily News in Boonville, Mo. He can be contacted at artmaier@sbcglobal.net.